Air cleaner



J. B. SEBO'K June 4, 1946A.

AIR CLEANER' Filed March 13, 19242 v44gV 57 6035 4734 J3 5.9Y J 7 VE Q 0550// Jie o/f Patented June 4, 1946 s PATENT i oElucEV AIR CLEANER Joseph B. Sebok, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application March 13, 1942, Serial No. 434,481..

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in air cleaners, more particularly to an air cleaner of the liquid bath type wherein the incoming air is commingled with and washed by a cleansing liquid which liquid is ltered out of the air before the air leaves the cleaner, the invention being highly desirable for use in connection with an internal combustion engine of the type commonly used on various vehicles, although the invention will also be desirable for air compressors, air brake systems, and other mechanisms requiring a supply of clean air for eflicient operation,

vas will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

It has been found desirable, especially in connection with -vehicles for emergency use and of a character that may be -suddenly called for long continuous use, or repeated usages at very short intervals, to provide an air cleaner which may be rapidly, efllciently, substantially and completely serviced. Of course, such a cleaner must also have adequate eiiiciency in operation and offer little restriction to the flow of air therethrough. Also, in many cases it is desirable to have a specifically located and fairly well protected inlet opening to the cleaner to prevent its becoming clogged if the vehicle upon which the cleaner is mounted is intended for rough usage and espe- (Cl. 18S-15) the cleaner is still operative with low restriction cially if the cleaner is in an exposed position on the vehicle. With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a liquid bath aircleaner which includes a casing made up of separable sections, one of which sections carries a sump for cleansing liquid, and such section being removably associated with the other section in a manner that the sections may be connected without any necessity of specifically registering or positioning one section relative to the other at the time of connection.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a liquid bath air cleaner which contains a filter element easily and readily removed in its entirety from the cleaner for servicing.

Also a feature of this invention resides in the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner which contains both a lter element and a baille disposed therebeneath, the filter element and the barile being joined together and readily removable from the cleaner as a unit.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner having a semi-protected inlet and disposed so that the device may be mounted in position with the inlet in a naturally protected location.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner so constructed that of the cleaner become loosened and move from 1 their" original position due to accidents or very rough abuse as may occur in connection with military equipment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner containing a. filter arrangement which may become entirely Vfree from its supporting means without materially affecting the satisfactory operation of the cleaner.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a highly efiicient, economical and sturdy liquid bath air cleaner that will operate with very low restriction.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a liquid bath ai cleaner embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional viewof the'cleaner seen in Figure 1, with parts omitted and parts shown in elevation; and,

Figure '3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentaryr vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line III-III of Figure l, with 'the mounting bracket for the clamping means shown in elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention there is shown an air cleaner including a casing made up of separable sections, an upper section l having a closed top generally indicated by numeral 2, and a lower section 3 housing a liquid sump 4. casing section has an upper cylindrical portion 5 and is then steppedin as indicated at 6 below this portion to provide a varying depth in the liquid sump 4, the deeper portion of the sump being housed within a lower cylindrical portion 1 of reduced diameter. It is obvious that the casing need not necessarily be cylindrical, but may be square, rectangular, or other suitable shape, the circular casing being used for purposes of illustration and in view of the fact that it is simpler to manufacture. The upper portion 5 of the lower section is telescopically associated with' the lower part of the upper section I as seen in Figure 2. It will there be seen that the upper section l carries on its outer surface an annular inverted channel member 8 which holds a gasket As seen best in Figure 2, the lower l3 9. The margin of the 1ower casing section is downwardly and outwardly turned as indicated at I0, as more clearly seen in Figure 3. This out-v wardly inclined marginal flange l provides an annular keeper which may readily be engaged.

With the particular marginal formation III on the lower casing section, there is no need for registering or specifically positioning the lower section relatively to the upper section when joining the two together.

With reference to Figure 2, it will be seen that the top or closure 2 on the upper casing section is in the form of a skirted cover member as indicated at 44. The skirt of this cover 44 may be lock-seamed to the upper casing section l to form an integral part of that casing section. An inlet to the cleaner may be pro-,-

vided through the skirt portion of the cover 44 by way of a plurality of iouvered openings 45, there being two vertical series of such openings in the illustrated embodiment. These openings preferably define an angular, inlet area of approximately ninety degrees, and the center of this area is not opposite to an outlet conduit 46, but is nearer the outlet on .the inside of the cleanerthan theoutsideV thereof, so that the cleaner when mounted in the position shown in Figure 1 with the outlet 46 paralleling the axis ,of the vehicle or internal combustion engine, the

inlet opening will be Adisposed inwardly toward the engine in a semi-protected region. The out.- let conduit l46 projects through the closed `top 44, and in the illustrated instance the outlet conduit is disposed somewhat on a. slant, that is, it inclines both inwardly and downwardly which disposition, in many instances, provides a more facile connection with the carburetorintake.'

Within thel upper casing section l is a partition member, 2 0 'compleirlentally'-,shaped -to the casing but of smaller size so as to allowa space 2l therebetween whichfunctions as an annular airinlet passage leading downwardly toward the liquid sump 4. VThis partition or insidev shell 20 is held in place ,with the aid off a seriesof extrusions 22 which' extend outwardly sufficient to abut the casing l and to which the extrusions may be secured in any suitable manner such, for` example, as by spot welding.

A cylindrical imperforvate shell 28` slidablein the shell 20 contains a filter mass 29 of any suitable material such as curled cattle-tail hair, cactus fibre, matted wavy wire,'etc. The filter mass substantially fills the shell and is held therein by a screen 30 of hardware cloth or the like at the top enclosed beneath an inwardly turned flange of the shell. Beneath the filter mass a baie is disposed which occupies a position contiguous to the sump liquid. This baille, designated by numeral 33 in general, has an outer sloping portion 34 and a cylindrical portion with a closed top 35 thereabove. Between or at the juncture of the.portions 34 and 35, the baille is provided with a series of elongated openings 36 formed by turning in the part cut out to define the openings along the lower edge of the opening.

In this instance, a coverhousing 41 is provided over the filter mass and shell 28. This housing 41 is of reduced diameter in the upper portion, flares outwardly as indicated at 48, and is provided with a substantially horizontal gasket holding the shoulder and depending flange arrangement 49. The flange embraces the upper margin of the partition 20 and may be spot-welded orl otherwise secured to the partition. Within the flared portion 48 of the collar of the housing is a 4 complementally shaped collar 50, which` adds rigidity to the construction and which also has a depending flange 5l spaced inwardly from the engaged margin of the partition 20 to provide a channel for the reception of a gasket 52, the lower surface of which gasket is abutted by the inwardly turned upward margin of the filter holding shell 28. The upper portion of the housing 41 is centrally elevated as indicated at-53, to seat within a socket formed by a complemental elevation 54 in the central portion of the closed top 44, and these two parts are joined together by a pair of spaced rivets 55-55 or equivalent means. The housing 41 is, of course, imperforate `except for a flanged opening into which the clean air'outlet conduit 46 extends.

The filter mass. 29 is retained within the shell 28 at the lower end by means of a sleeve 56 embracing the lower end of the shell and being curved inwardly in keeping 'with the travel of air, sloping upwardly to a central substantially fiat portion 51 overlying the central portion 35 of the baille generally indicated by the numeral 33. In the sloping portion of the sleeve or flange member 56, there are numerous relatively large apertures 58 through which the air passes upwardly into the. filter mass. The lower margin of the baille extending below the eduction or aspiration opening 43 is inwardly and upwardly turned as indicated at 59. Y Preferably, the baile, the shell 28 and filter mass 28-are all secured together as a unit and held in position within the cleaner by means of a thumb bolt 60 provided with suitable flange or washer means 6I inside the baille, and with a suitable washer 62 locked in position above the filter mass, the bolt extending centrally through the filter mass and through a suitable aperture in the central portion 451 of the bottom lter holding flange 56. A threaded end 63 of the bolt projects freely above the filter mass for threaded engagementV within a female socket bolt 64 fixedly carried by a yolk member 65 which is of substantially a U shape, and the legs of which are turned outwardly at their upper extremities as indicated at 66-65 and also engaged by the rivets 55--55 to hold the yolk firmly and fxedly in position.

With respect to this embodiment of the invention, `the two casing sections I and 3 are held together by an over center lever arrangement including a lever 61 pivoted as at 68 to a bracket 69 mounted on the outer surface of the casing section l'.- The `hasp portion of the over center arrangement is in the form of a U shape spring Wire member 10 having the free ends thereof inwardly turned and connected to the channel portion of the lever 61. Each leg of the hasp portion is provided with a spring roll 1| in the intermediate portion thereof, and the `legs are upwardly turned as at 12 for engagement beneath the turned margin l0 of vthe lower casing section 3. The cro'ss yolk of the U'formation is preferably at the top of the turned portion 12 so that the cross yolk engages beneath the flange l0 on the lower casing section. It will be noted that with this construction, spring tension is provided by virtue of the roll 1I in each leg of the U-shaped hasp and also by virtue of the curvature 12 in each leg. One such arrangement is preferably found on each side of the air cleaner, the two arrangements being diametrally opposed to each other, although a greater number may be used if so desired. l An important feature of this invention resides in the provision of one or more angle members'r'l3,

in the illustrated instance, there being three disposed equidistantly around the. holding bracket or sleeve at the bottornend of the lter'rnasys'. Each of these bracket members may have one leg attached to the vertical portion of` the ,-sleevepr bottom member 56 andthe other4 leg, which extends approximately horizontally, attaehedfto the inwardly curved'rportion thereof. 'I'he'bracliet is preferably formed'so that there willlbe acurv'ate hump 14 at the' apex of the rangle between its legs. It will be noted from 'reference' to Figure 2 that this curvate hump 14 immediately',l curves over the shoulder caused by the inset 6 in the wall of the lower casing section.y Consequently', in the event, due to rough usage or for any "other reason, the bolt 60 becomes disengaged from the socket or female bolt 64 during use thus per- 5 mitting the entire filter mass together with the shell 28 to fall downwardly, the filter mass and its shell will be kept spaced from the casing wall by virtue of the angle members 13. Such spacing of the filter mass will be amply sufficient to permit air to descend in tli'e passage 2l, turn inwardly beneath the filter holding member 56 and ascend .upwardly'through the openings 58 through the filter mass. In other words, even though the entire filter mass falls'loose and free within the casing, there will be no material impediment in the operation and efficiency of the cleaner. It is obvious that the sloping portion of the baille 33 will remain the same fixed distance away from the filter mass in view of the fact that these parts are locked in relatively xed position by the washers 6I and 62 on the bolt 60..

In operation, the air cleaner described herein is highly eflicient'and possessed of extremely low restriction. Due to the suction created in the internal combustion engine or other mechanism with which the cleaner is associated, air enters the inlet openings 45, passes around the reduced portion of the housing 41 and descends through the annular passage 2l toward the liquid sump 4. The static or initial liquid level in the sump is preferably at the line indicated by numeral 15 in Figure 2 so that the cleaner is substantially lsealed oiT above the sloping portion of the baille at the start of the operation. A greater portion of the Oil or other cleansing liquid above the sloping portion of the baille will be at once expelled forcibly into the lower part of the lter mass 29 upon the start of the operation, and thereafter entering air will pass over the upper face of the baffle, aspirating or educing sump liquid through the space 43 between the outer edge of the baffle and the adjacent wall portion 'l of the lower casing section. Such educed or aspirated sump liquid willbe commingled with entering air and some of it will be immediately heavily laden with dirt removed from the air. This heavily laden liquid will be forced upwardly over the sloping surface of the baille until it is able to be pushed or flows through the openings 36 in the baille carrying its burden of dirt back into the quieter zoneA in the central part of the sump. The lighter portion of such liquid will be carried by the incoming air into the filter mass, and as' liquid is carried into the-filter mass and becomes dirt laden therein, such liquid will drop upon the sloping portion of the baille and either gravitate through the aspiration opening 43 or be pushed by incoming air through the apertures 36. Accordingly, there will be a definite circulation in the lower region o f the filter mass, up in the central portion over and down adjacent the outer edge of the mass. The upper portion impurities in the air that may yet remain therein, and-also remove entrained sump liquid from the air so, that the air'willenterthe housing 41 abovethe :filterjn'iass` in a. clean substantially dry state; Froni thefinside of the housing 4l the air 'pas'.seslinto'the mechanism `with which the cleaner is'associated through the outlet conduit 46.

v,Vifhen .it is desired toservice the cleaner, it is a simple expedient tofreleasefeach of the overcenter clamping mechanisms `by dropping the lever. 61,' and thus'remove thelower casing. section 2, 'dump out 'the' liquid and `c`lirt, and 'replenish this section with fresh cleansing liquid. 'At the same time, it desiredto rinse out the filter mass. the single bolt 60 may be released and immediately both the baille andthe filter mass will drop'outof the shell partition 20, and then the filter mass and baille may be washed in gasoline or some other suitable cleansing liquid, permitted to dry, and replaced in the cleaner by the mere expedient of tightening the sump bolt 60 in position. Aftertthat, it is a simpleI expedient to again attach the lower casing section 2 and it will be noted flange portion of this section, no particular care need be exercised in telescopically connecting it with the upper casing section since the clamping elements will engage beneath this flange at any point around the lower casing section. The curvature 59 in the lower portion of the baille obviously tends to avoid injury to an operators hand when replacing the filter mass on the baille after removal.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an air cleaner` compact in construction, highly durable, operatingy at high efficiency, and which is easily and very readily taken apart for servicing and put together with equal facility. It will be further noted that the cleaner loccupies a minimum of space, and isl highly durable. In addition, it will be seen that even though the lnvention may be subjected to severe abusage, sutilcient to dislodge the interior parts of the cleaner. such dislodgment of parts will not materially affect the operation and efficiency of the cleaner.

It will, ofcourse, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended I claim as my invention:

1. In a liquid bath air cleaner, a casing having separated inlet and outlet openings and a liquid sump in the lower part thereof in proximity to the path of air traveling from the inlet to the outlet, said casing being reduced in size in the vicinity of the liquid sump to provide an inner shoulder, a removable lter arrangement in said casing, releasable means supporting said filter arrangement in operative position, and other supporting members'l attached to the lower part of said filter arrangement and projecting over said inner shoulder to support said filter arrangement still in an operative position in the event the arrangement becomes unintentionally loosened.

2. In a liquid bath air cleaner, a casing having separated inlet and outlet openings and a liquid sump in the lower part thereof in proximity to the lpath of air traveling from the 1111er to the outlet, said casing being reduced in size in the vicinity of the liquid sump to provide an inner shoulder, a. removable filter arrangement in said 7 Y casing, depending vsupporting means carried 'by the top of said casina, supporting means extending through said filter arrangement and releasably engageable with said depending means to hold said filter arrangement in operating position, and other supporting means carriedby the filter arrangement and projecting over said inner shoulder to rest on said shoulder and hold said lter arrangement stili in an operative position in the event the lter arrangement becomes unintentionally loosened. l

3. In a liquid bath air cleaner. a casing having inlet openings in the upper part thereof anda liquid sump in the lower part, animperforate shell in said casing spaced from the wall thereof l,over Vsaid shoulder to, support said filter element still in an operative position if the element becomes loosened and drops toward said sump.

JOSEPH B. SEBOK. 

